MARKET GARDENS. 377 



of the third line upon that. Things will then come rightly into 

 their places, the bottom soil being always thrown upon the bot 

 tom, the top soil upon the top, while at the end of the piece 

 trenched, that which was first thrown out must be brought and 

 replaced. The third point particularly attended to, is ample 

 manuring. For this object they have always plentiful stores on 

 hand, to be applied as may be desired ; the old hotbeds, when 

 broken up, furnishing large quantities in that decomposed state, 

 in which only is its application safe in respect to many kinds of 

 plants. Manure is sometimes applied in a solid and sometimes in 

 a liquid form. Sometimes, when the ground is dug, the manure is 

 dug in with it ; sometimes it is laid on the surface ; sometimes it is 

 used with every successive crop, at other times with the first crop 

 only : but all these are matters directly dependent upon experi 

 ence and practice, and which it would be impossible, in such a 

 report as this, particularly to define. Manure, in its coarsest state, 

 is seldom applied to garden vegetables ; and it is found expedient, 

 in respect to liquid manures, to apply them in a diluted and mixed 

 form. The next point aimed at, is to avoid the immediate repe 

 tition of the same crop on the same ground ; for, though manure 

 may be had in abundance, yet the second and third crops gradu 

 ally become deteriorated. Chemistry has not yet determined with 

 precision how this evil, if so it is to be regarded, is to be counter 

 acted. It is strongly hoped that this may be one of its first 

 achievements. Most of what it has yet given us in the case is 

 theory. What we want is practical and efficient rules by which 

 the health azid strength of the declining patient may be at once 

 and with certainty recovered. The next object is, to have a suc 

 cession of crops, one crop often growing between the rows of 

 another, and prepared to take its place as soon as it is removed, 

 so that there is no respite of the cultivation, while the season 

 allows of it ; and near London, with the help of straw covering, 

 and mats, and glasses, some plants are on the ground all the year. 

 For this object, and to counteract the effect of the seasons, the 

 most extensive preparation is made ; articles are prepared of 

 brush, of matting and straw, and hand-glasses, or boxes with 

 glass tops, and, to guard against insects, boxes with coarse 

 gauze tops are prepared in the greatest abundance, and changes 

 of the temperature and weather are watched with the most 

 sedulous care. Hot and forcing beds, likewise, and conserva- 

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